Lemon Meringue
by Q.Sekhmet
Summary: When Jazmine asks Huey to accompany her to an ice cream parlor, their 'friendship' comes into question.


**Lemon Meringue **

**Summary: **When Jazmine asks Huey to accompany her to an ice cream parlor, their 'friendship' comes into question.

**A/N: **I wrote here a long time ago, but the story happened to be one of the most juvenile pieces of fiction ever written. I wish to try again with this one-shot. Hope ya'll enjoy. This story does _not _contain lemons, despite the title. This ain't erotica.

**Disclaimer: **The Boondocks is owned by Aaron McGruder.

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"You really need to lighten up, Huey."

Jazmine was almost regretting getting him to tag along.

He is always brooding, it seems. Always mulling over some political indecency, the cultural dysfunction of his existence, the vicious repetitiveness of 'The Problem'. You know, the usual disparages…

The boy regarded her abrasively before slipping his hands into his pockets. Why did he always look at her like that-as if none of her utterances are worth engaging? She briefly entertained the idea of thrusting her elbow into his ribcage. He always managed to make her feel stupid, didn't he? Even something as benign as a brief glance seemed to invoke some uncertainty. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered to be around him.

"Lighten up?" He briefly retracted a hand in order to press the crosswalk button, "I think that's your job."

Jazmine was annoyed at the way the remark cuts into her. She crossed her arms. "Really, Huey? Do you have to be such a smartass all of the time? You're so mean!"

"Well stop worrying about me and worry about yourself."

"We're friends. That's what friends do, right? Duh."

The little white man replaced the stationary hand and Huey started. She nearly tripped over her cork wedges; struggled to match the pace of his long stride. "Well?" She enforced.

Huey merely arched a brow.

[][][]

He'd never really thought of her as a 'friend'. Sure, Huey had some association to her. She was his neighbor after all, but it certainly was not something that was afforded by choice.

They were teenagers now. As an adolescent, Jazmine had simply been that annoying girl from across the street. Now she was that annoying people pleaser with identity issues. While he would like nothing more than to rip her apart for her indiscretions, Huey always opted to hold his tongue…somewhat. She was not his 'friend' and was therefore unworthy of his opinion. Not that she would be able to understand his thoughts, anyway. Most people didn't.

"Well?"

The were making their way across the street, now. She had texted him earlier, requesting that he accompany her to a little ice cream parlor down the block. He'd said yes if only because he liked the Nutty Butty Swirl bars that were sold there. Her company was not an incentive.

"Well, what?" He responded flippantly.

"We're friends, right? Amigos?"

"Why don't you tell me the definition a friend and I'll see if I can back to you."

She always seemed to be feigning for his approval. It annoyed him.

"You're a jerk." She mumbled, hurt.

He didn't care. The rest of their walk is quiet and the girl lagged noticeably behind. He found that he didn't mind at all-he preferred the quietness of his thoughts rather than her chatter.

They made their way into the cool confines of the parlor and Huey ordered first-a Nutty Butty Swirl with extra peanut butter. Jazmine requested a lemon meringue icy and savored her treat sullenly. As they sat across from each other, she snuck glances, sometimes penetrative and curious, most times resentful and hurt. He ignored her and slanted at a slight angle. His eyes followed a white family as they pushed open the glass doors and lined up behind the corded red rope.

"Why did you come?"

He was slow to react, as he was clearly not expecting to hear her voice. His eyes gauged her; dipped to his ice cream. He took a hearty bite. The slightly overbearing cold caused him to wince. "Because I wanted some ice cream." He finished lamely; guardedly and honestly all the same.

She made an intolerant noise and, despite her dripping popsicle, folded her arm. "The only reason you came was because you wanted ice cream?"

"Is that not a valid enough reason?"

"No, it's not. Some part of you _must _like me, or else you wouldn't have come!"

"Didn't we just talk about worrying about yourself?"

"Screw you, Huey! You never replied to my friend request!" Jazmine was leaning forward in her anger.

"What the hell? I don't have a facebook!" Huey looked indignant. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"And even if you did, would you have added me?"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

People were staring now. Or to be precise, the white family that had come in moments earlier was casting them horrified looks. Huey didn't care.

"_Ev-ry-thing!" _She punctuated each syllable by clenching her teeth. For a moment, the girl looked feral…then it becomes apparent to him that tears were in her eyes. This makes him uncomfortable.

"I try so hard to make you like me and nothing works! You still hate me at the end of the day! I'm just that stupid mixed girl from across the street!"

Those words weren't entirely far from the truth. The only difference was, he didn't hate her. She just annoyed the shit out of him.

Huey clenched his fists. "I don't hate you." He belted out stubbornly.

"Then, you like me?"

"No, I-"

Her face fell again. For some reason, those big hazel eyes manage to soften him up. It pissed him off. "Finish your ice cream." He commanded. He forced his eyes to lock onto some less nubile. "It's melting."

She sniffled and, her face wet with tears, began to munch on the remainder of her lemon pop. He watched her and steadily grew angry with himself. She'd never appeared so pretty before. So timid, so stupid, so irritating, so ignorant, so bourgeois, so damned…pretty.

"Why are you glaring at me like you want to kill me?" She murmured after a while.

"I don't."

Huey stood up and brushed off his jeans. The better half of his ice cream remained untouched, and he left it to it's decay. "Come on, Jazmine. I'll take you home."

"My daddy says you can stay over any time you want." She sniffled a bit. "Wanna play some video games?"

"Maybe. Let's just go."

That killer smile instantly made him regret his words.


End file.
